True Colours of Spring

When it comes to game viewing, winter is definitely the time for a South African safari, but spring provides food for the soul that just can't be matched. These 3 short months are simply stunning in every way.

New Beginnings

It may sound like a cliché but in our neck of the thorny scrub, spring really does herald the start of things.

Cooling rain showers have caused an uproar of new seasonal growth. The animals welcome this with a hop, skip and jump in some cases. A refreshing roll in the mud seems to do the trick for others.

Babies are emerging around every corner and bursts of colour are to be seen wherever you choose to find them.

Our Palette

The sjambok pod is already ablaze with yellow flowers, juxtaposed against the red blooms of the boerboon. The baboons are delighted to see their favourite snack – the creamy yellow, apparently delicious, knobthorn tree flowers.

One of our most beautiful indigenous shrubs, the Impala lily, is rightly famous for its pink and white flowers during winter. We are lucky enough to have a few late bloomers here at Thornybush which only started showing off in September. It's hard to believe this gorgeous plant is part of the concoction that the Bushmen use to tip their poison arrows!

Daisies are the most populous plants on earth and a universal indicator of springtime. In our reserve it is no different, with these yellow, white and even pink spots of colour popping up among the grasslands and rocky outcrops.

Here you may just encounter the most famous South African daisy of all – the Barberton Daisy. Despite its popularity as a cut flower, this hardy little plant continues to thrive in the wild for us to enjoy.

Lesser-Known Treats

One of the lesser-known spectacles usually found hiding along river valleys, is the Leopard orchid. You have to know where to look to find these fragrant yellow flowers which anchor themselves to the branches of riverine trees, but the extra effort is well worth it.

The black stick lily or Monkey's Tail is one of winter's ugliest specimens. However, it graces us with a quick spring bouquet of appealing pink flowers to mark the spots where bush fires have been through.

See For Yourself

When you visit theThornybush Collection you can embrace all the clichés of spring by experiencing them yourself. It's one of the most scenic times to visit, and we look forward to showing it off to you.